Plural dial range indicator



May 9, 1967 R. D. HODGSON 3,318,280 PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR FiledApril 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 72 /06 68 68 4 66 7/6 //4 //8 707 21 21l v I. #7; V IZZ 0 /Z0 INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HODGSON A TT'ORNE Y y 1967 R.o. HODGSON PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1,1964 I I I I l I I I I l I I I I I I I I I I I I I l I INVENTOR. ROBERTD. HODGSON ATTORNEY y 1967 R. D. HODGSON 3,318,280

PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR Filed April 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Tl IBLTJ Y INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HODGSON ATTORNEY M y 1967 R. D. HODGSONPLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR Filed April 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR. ROBE/PT D. HODGSON BY 6 g ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice3,318,280 Patented May 9, 1967 3,318,280 PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATORRobert D. Hodgson, Bloomfield Hills, Mich, assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 1,1964, Ser. No. 356,512 2 Claims. (Cl. 116-124) This invention relates todomestic appliances and more particularly to improvements in illuminatedcontrol panels for association with such appliances.

It is desirable in illuminated control panels for domestic appliancesthat the presettable dial components thereof, or the like, be located ina common field of vision whereby a user of the device can readilydetermine the operative state thereof.

In arrangements where the component parts of the control panel arearranged in such a common field of Vision, however, it is found that theindicia carrying components of the control panel are overilluminated orwashed out, thereby making it difficult to determine whether certainparts of the device are, for example, on or off or at a particularintermediately controlled state between on and off.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve controlpanels for association with operable devices such as domestic appliancesby the provision of a plurality of light-transmittable indicia carryingmeans arranged in a common field of vision with respect to a commonsource of illumination and means for directing light from the commonsource to sharply illuminate individual indicia carrying means withoutoverilluminating other of the indicia carrying means to assure areliable indication of the operative state of a device associated withthe control panel.

A further object of the present invention is to improve compact controlpanel arrangements for association with domestic appliances having anupper, horizontally disposed surface by the provision of a plurality ofindicia carrying control dials arranged in a common viewing fieldthrough a horizontally disposed window wherein each of the control dialsis illuminated from a common source and is characterized by its abilityto selectively indicate a particular condition of a component part ofthe device operatively associated therewith without confiicting with theindication on a like dial component and wherein means are providedrearwardly of the horizontal viewing window for directing light from thesingle source of illumination across the horizontal upper surfaceof thedomestic appliance.

A further object of the present invention is to improve control panelsfor association with domestic appliances and the like by the provisionof an improved control dial having an outer ring portion made opaque andtransparent in a predetermined manner for concentrating light from asource of illumination at an indicia carrying arcu ate peripheralsurface thereon and wherein the outer ring is adapted to be supported ona rotatable spindle by means of a central hub and disc integrally formedwith the outer ring.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a built-in cooking top and ovenarrangement including the control panel of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top elevational view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view, partially broken away andpartially sectioned, of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken substantial-1yalong the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken along the line 55of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 6-6 ofFIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of a battle element locatedinteriorly of the control panel.

Referring noW to the drawings, in FIGURE 1, a built-in cooking top andoven combination 10 is illustrated having a horizontal top surface 12with a plurality of surface cooking units therein representative- -lyillustrated as being spirally coiled, tubular sheathed electricalheating elements 14. At the front of the top surface 12 is located anelongated horizontally disposed viewing window 16 of a suitabletransparent material directed across the width of the unit 10 to serveas the viewing field for suitable indicia carrying components in acompact range control panel or assembly 18 constructed in accordancewith principles of the present invention.

It should be understood that the improved control panel 18, while beingespecially suited for association with the built-in cooking top and ovenarrangement illustrated, is equally suitable for use in association withother domestic appliances or devices having operative componentsrequiring visual indication of how they are being controlled. In theillustrated embodiment of the invention, a timer control assembly 22 islocated on one side of the assembly 18 which has a front panel 20located above an oven having an access opening thereto closed by adownwardly swinging door closure 24.

The front panel 20, may for example, be formed as an integral part of asheet metal outer housing or cabinet 26 including suitable side walls, afront and a rear wall for forming a support for the top cooking surface12 and to define the oven cavity. An elongated, rectangularly-shapedframe 28 supported across the top of the front panel 20 is securedthereto by suitable means and includes elongated slots 30, 32 on eitherside thereof for supportingly receiving the front and rear edges of thewindow 16 which, along with the front panel 20 and side walls of thesheet metal outer housing 26, serve to define the enclosure for the dialportions of the improved control panel 18.

Across the outer face of the front panel 20 are located a plurality ofmanually rotatable control knobs 34 of switch means (not shown) forcontrolling the energization of the illustrated surface units 14 in adesired manner. Each of the control knobs 34, more particularly, issecured to a spindle 36 having one end thereof directed through thefront panel 20 and supported thereon !by a sleeve bearing element 38 andhaving the extending, for example, from the side wall portions of theouter housing 26 at a point located rearwardly of the front panel 20.Each of the spindles 36 has a hub 44 fixedly secured thereto by suitablemeans, for example, a'set screw 46, and hub 44 includes a radiallyoutwardly directed flange at one end thereof that is fastened to acontrol dial 48 by suitable means such as a screw 50. 7

Each dial 48 is constructed of a suitable light-transmitting plasticmaterial and includes a centralvhub portion 52 to which the hub 44 issecured by screw 50 and a radially outwardly directed disc portion 54that supports an outer ring portion 56 for rotation within thev controlpanel enclosure. A rear face 58 on the control dial 48 passes during therotation thereof with respect to an opening 60 formed in an opaque plateor bafile 62 extending across the full width of the illustratedappliance so as to separate the plurality of dials 48 from anilluminated space or compartment 63 located immediately rearwardlythereof. The plate 62 includes a suitable opening 64 at each of thedials for receiving the attachment hub 44 on the spindle 36 and each endof the plate is supported by suitable means to a suitable fixed support,for example, the side walls of the outer housing 26.

An elongated horizontally-extending baffle 66 is located between thefront panel 20 and rear bafile 62 across the width of the control panelin which the dials 48 are located and, as best illustrated in FIGURES 2and 3, the panel 66 is shaped as a plurality of horizontal portions 68joining a pair of spaced vertically-extending portions 70 to fill theupper space between adjacent control dials 48. The horizontal portions68 form a plurality of spaced horizontal openings 72 each of whichreceives a limited arcuate segment 74 of one of the dials 48 directedupwardly for viewing through the window 16. The horizontal and verticalportions 68, 70 of panel 66, as illustrated, serve to separate theexposed arcuate portions on the individual dials one from the other andalso to separate such arcuate portions from the illuminated compartment63 of the control panel.

The relationship between the dials 48, rear panel or baflle 62 and upperbaffle 66 is best illustrated in FIG- URE 3 which is broken away andpartially sectioned to bring out these details.

One feature of the present invention is that the 111118? trated dialarrangement is illuminated by a single light source located behind therear baffle 62 by the transmission of light through the plurality ofarcuately-shaped openings 60 in the panel 62 and thence through thetransparent rear face 58 of the dials 48 to the exposed arcuate segment74 thereon included in the field of vision through the window 16.

In accordance with certain principles of the present invention, thetransparent plastic dial 48 is coated with a suitable light reflective,opaque material, for example, white paint 75, at the inner peripheralsurface 76 of the outer ring 56 and at the rear surface 78 f the disc54. The rear surface 58 of the ring 56 is clear except where it isdesirable to have an off position or the like.

at which, point the face is made opaque by suitable means such as blackpaint or the like. By virtue of this arrangement, light directed throughthe plurality of openings 60 will be reflected by the white, opaquesurface of paint 75 through the outer periphery so as to sharplyilluminate the arcuate segment 74 viewed through the window 16 byconcentrating light at this point. The opacity of the paint 75 willadditionally prevent undesirable light absorption and transmission fromthe outer ring 56 of the dial 48 to other parts of the control panelinterior.

By virtue of the arrangement of the upper panel 66 above the dial units48 and the light-directing characteristics of the rear baffie 62, eachof the individual dial units 48 is readily distinguishable one from theother and will effectively stand out as a sharply illuminated rectanglein the general field of vision through window 16 whereby suitableindicia painted on the outer periphery of each dial will clearly anddistinctly stand out to enable a user of the apparatus to quickly andaccurately determine the operative condition of the component partsthereof.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the single source ofillumination is representatively illustrated as including an elongatedfluorescent tube 80 directed across the width of the apparatusrearwardly of the control panel 18 where terminal ends 82 thereon areelectrically connected in suitable electrical outlets 84 fixedly securedto suitable support means, for example, the bracket 42,'by means ofdepending brackets 86.

Another feature of the improved control panel arrangement 18 is theprovision of means therein for directing light from the single source ofillumination to the upper surface of the associated appliance, forexample, the cooking top 12. More specifically, in the illustratedembodiment, this means comprises an elongated cover panel 88 for closingan opening 90 in the cooking top 12 extending across the width thereofrearwardly of the plurality of control dials 48. The panel 88 has thefront edge thereof fixedly secured to a pivotal bearing element 92 and arear edge 94 having suitable depressions 96 therein for moving the panel88 about the pivot defined by element 92 into a raised position, bestillustrated in FIGURE 4, where the panel 88 is supported at each endthereof by an arm 98 having the opposite ends thereof pivotally securedto the panel 88 and a suitable fixed bracket 100 on the side walls ofouter cabinet 26, respectively. Each arm 98 is retained in the raisedposition by being snapped in a detent on bracket 100. Across theunderside of the rear of the panel 88 depends a window 102 of a suitabletransparent plastic or the like held in place at either end thereof bysuitable bracket means 104. When the panel 88 is raised, the window 102serves to transmit light from the fluorescent tube 80 across the cookingtop 12 to illuminate articles thereon.

Yet another feature of the illustrated embodiment of the invention isthat the single source of illumination also serves to illuminate indiciain the timer mechanism 22 and the indicia are located to be visiblethrough the common field of vision defined by window 16. Accordingly,the present invention presents an unclutered clock face 106 in the timermechanism 22 serving solely to indicate time. More particularly, as isbest illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, in the vicinity of the timermechanism 22, an extension 107 of the rear bafiie or panel 62'has anopening 108 formed therein through which light from the fluorescent tube80 is directed to be reflected off a reflective surface, for example, alayer of white paint 110 on the rear surface of an extension 112 offront panel 20 to illuminate the face of an hours to cook indiciacarrying dial 114, a time for oven shutoff dial 116, and a sixty-minutetimer dial 118 having the indicia thereon viewable through spacedquarter moon-shaped openings 120 formed'in the rear baflle extension107. An image of the indicia on the spaced dials 114, 116, 118 isreflected upwardly by a mirror 122 representatively illustrated as beinginclined at a 45 angle with respect to the illustrated mounting of thedials so as to be clearly visible through the upper horizontal viewingwindow 16 along with the indicia carrying arcuate surfaces 74 of thecontrol dials 48.

Three control knobs 124 are directed through the front,

panel extension 112 and :a glass face 126 protecting the hands on theclock face 106. Each of the knobs 124 is manually. rotatable andoperatively associated with a suitable gear train 128 for effecting apredetermined setti g Of the indiciaicarrying dials 114, 1 16, 118connected thereto, with it being understood that suitable means can beoperatively associated with the linkage 128 for effecting apredetermined setting of the operative parts of a timer controlmechanism, the outline of which is illustrated in phantom at 130 inFIGURE 4. Another feature of the illustrated arrangement is that thehandcarrying shaft 132 of the clock that is directed through theinterior of the control panel is made of a suitable transparent materialso that the image from the dial 114- will be completely reflected to theviewing window 16 from mirror 122.

The improved compact control panel assembly set forth above therebyarranges multiple dial carrying indicia such as are found on a domesticappliance or the like to be quickly and distinctly viewed in a commonfield of vision and also serves to illuminate a top surface of theappliance.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a cooking appliance, an outer cabinet including a horizontal uppercooking surface, enclosure means located at the top front of said outercabinet, said enclosure means including a front panel and a rear baffleplate, a plurality of light transparent indicator dials, means forrotatably supporting each of said dials in spaced relationship to oneanother between said front panel and said rear baflle plate of saidenclosure means, each of said dials having an outer ring portion thereonforming an outer peripheral surface with indicia thereon, means formingan elongated horizontally disposed window in said enclosure meansoverlying each of said dials for viewing the indicia on each of theperipheral surfaces thereof, means forming a plurality of spacedopenings in said rear bafile plate, each of said dials being located inline and forwardly of one of said rear bafile plate openings, a lightsource within said outer cabinet and located rearwardly of said rearbaffle plate in line with each of said spaced apart baffle plateopenings, said outer ring portion of each of said dials including anangular rear surface covering one of said bafile plate openings, each ofsaid rear surfaces on said ring portions receiving light from one ofsaid openings and directing it through said ring portion forilluminating indicia on the outer peripheral portion on each of saiddials, and means including a horizontal bafile disposed between saidfront panel and said rear bafiie including spaced apart upwardly facingopenings therein, each of said upwardly facing openings being locatedabout a portion of an upper segment of the outer peripheral portion ofone of said dials, said horizontal baffle and said rear baflle shieldingsaid light source from view through said horizontal window andseparating each of said dials from one another as viewed through saidhorizontal window to maintain a clear differentiation between lightedindicia on the outer peripheral portion of each of said indicator dials.

2. In a cooking appliance, an outer cabinet including an upperhorizontal work surface, enclosure means located at the top front ofsaid outer cabinet, said enclosure means including an elongatedhorizontally disposed upper window therein, a plurality of spaced apartindicating dials, means for supporting said indicating dials within saidcontrol panel for visual observation through said horizontally disposedupper window, a light source within said outer cabinet located belowsaid horizontal work surface and rearwardly of said viewing Window inline with each of said indicator dials for illuminating said dials,means forming an elongated opening in said horizontal work surfacerearwardly of said upper window, said opening overlying said lightsource, means including an elongated movable panel for closing saidopening, means for supporting said panel on said Work surface formovement from a closed position to a raised position above saidhorizontal work surface, and means on the underside of said movablepanel for directing light from the source of light through said worksurface opening and across the horizontal work surface of the outercabinet when said movable panel is raised therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,339,904 1/ 1944Almquist 2402.1 2,607,316 8/1952 Mayer 116129 2,607,870 8/1952 Sheidler200-167 2,640,144 5/1953 Levy 2402.1 2,701,541 2/1955 Miller et a1116124 2,737,146 3/1956 Philipp 1l6-124 2,737,573 3/1956 Olthuis 2402.12,742,015 4/1956 Hoyle 116124 2,887,086 5/1959 Boldt et al. 1l61242,889,800 6/1959 Schroeder 116124 2,918,555 12/1959 Lindberg 2001673,083,272 3/1963 Stolle 20038 3,114,824 12/1963 Detterbeck et al. 219-373,221,161 11/1965 Hodgson 240-21 LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A COOKING APPLIANCE, AN OUTER CABINET INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL UPPERCOOKING SURFACE, ENCLOSURE MEANS LOCATED AT THE TOP FRONT OF SAID OUTERCABINET, SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING A FRONT PANEL AND A REAR BAFFLEPLATE, A PLURALITY OF LIGHT TRANSPARENT INDICATOR DIALS, MEANS FORROTATABLY SUPPORTING EACH OF SAID DIALS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO ONEANOTHER BETWEEN SAID FRONT PANEL AND SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATE OF SAIDENCLOSURE MEANS, EACH OF SAID DIALS HAVING AN OUTER RING PORTION THEREONFORMING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE WITH INDICIA THEREON, MEANS FORMINGAN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WINDOW IN SAID ENCLOSURE MEANSOVERLYING EACH OF SAID DIALS FOR VIEWING THE INDICIA ON EACH OF THEPERIPHERAL SURFACES THEREOF, MEANS FORMING A PLURALITY OF SPACEDOPENINGS IN SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATE, EACH OF SAID DIALS BEING LOCATED INLINE AND FORWARDLY OF ONE OF SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATE OPENINGS, A LIGHTSOURCE WITHIN SAID OUTER CABINET AND LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID REARBAFFLE PLATE IN LINE WITH EACH OF SAID SPACED APART BAFFLE PLATEOPENINGS, SAID OUTER RING PORTION OF EACH OF SAID DIALS INCLUDING ANANGULAR REAR SURFACE COVERING ONE OF SAID BAFFLE PLATE OPENINGS, EACH OFSAID REAR SURFACES ON SAID RING PORTIONS RECEIVING LIGHT FROM ONE OFSAID OPENINGS AND DIRECTING IT THROUGH SAID RING PORTION FORILLUMINATING INDICIA ON THE OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION ON EACH OF SAIDDIALS, AND MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL BAFFLE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAIDFRONT PANEL AND SAID REAR BAFFLE INCLUDING SPACED APART UPWARDLY FACINGOPENINGS THEREIN, EACH OF SAID UPWARDLY FACING OPENINGS BEING LOCATEDABOUT A PORTION OF AN UPPER SEGMENT OF THE OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION OFONE OF SAID DIALS, SAID HORIZONTAL BAFFLE AND SAID REAR BAFFLE SHIELDINGSAID LIGHT SOURCE FROM VIEW THROUGH SAID HORIZONTAL WINDOW ANDSEPARATING EACH OF SAID DIALS FROM ONE ANOTHER AS VIEWED THROUGH SAIDHORIZONTAL WINDOW TO MAINTAIN A CLEAR DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN LIGHTEDINDICIA ON THE OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION OF EACH OF SAID INDICATOR DIALS.